CHRIS MARAIS
Masters Student at the University of Sussex in Intelligent and Adaptive Systems
Cognitive Science. Complex Adaptive Systems. Machine Learning. Natural Language Processing. Blockchain Technology. Social Justice. Functional Programming. Nature.
BIO
Mathemetician. Researcher. Programmer. Data Scientist.
I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, where I love to surf and walk in the mountain. I obtained a BSc with distinction in mathematics and physics from the University of Cape Town. I then worked as a data scientist and researcher at WhereIsMyTransport. I've always had a passion for cognitive science (understanding how the human mind works), so I went to Brighton, UK where I am currently completing an MSc in Intelligent and Adaptive Systems thanks to an Oppenheimer Memorial Trust scholarship. The course covers topics in artificial intelligence such as natural language processing, machine learning, and other more philosophical fields (like artificial life and cybernetics). I'm passionate about music (being a drummer and a pianist), I care about social justice, and generally love to challenge myself and learn new things.
Academic work and more practical projects that I'm proud of.
MY WORK
These are the projects and academic work that I have done that I am the most proud of during my academic and professional career. Click on the links above to see my work.
SKILLS & INTERESTS
PROGRAMMING & DATA SCIENCE
I love to write code, especially clean, modular and functional code. It makes me smile. I'm interested in using machine learning techniques to gain insight into data like text data or geographical data.
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Skills:
Python, C#, F#, Java, MATLAB.
[Python] numpy, scipy, nltk, sklearn
[C#] .NET (WinForms, NuGet, LINQ)
[General] json, git & github, openstreetmap, REST APIs
ubuntu/linux
MATHEMATICS
Category TheoryÂ
Computability / Complexity TheoryÂ
Graph Theory
Linear Algebra
Dynamical Systems Theory
RESEARCH
What makes living systems alive, in a way that a rock is not alive? What kinds of properties define these systems? How can we use ideas from thermodynamics and information theory to better understand living systems or indeed other kinds of complex adaptive system? I'm very interested in these ideas, and currently looking for a PhD in a related topic.
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Skills:
Academic writing
Scientific writing
